1. Field of the Invention
This invention resides in the field of fluid dispensers and more particularly relates to a medical treatment system where medicated and non-medicated fluids, lotions, gels and the like are delivered through a delivery tube for application on a patient.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Traditionally, clinicians, physical therapists and medical personnel have applied lotion to a patient by squeezing an appropriate amount from a container onto their hand and then have applied such lotion manually directly to the patient""s skin. Lotion dispensing containers, many of which work by compressing the container to squeeze out the lotion, are known in the prior art. Examples include U.S. Pat. No. 5,476,194 to Hippely et al which describes a flexible dispenser which can be worn around a person""s neck; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,657,159 to Grant which discloses a meniscus-shaped container. One disadvantage of these types of containers is that a therapist must go back and forth between obtaining lotion from the container and applying it to the patient, wasting valuable time. There is also the potential for contamination if the therapist""s hands carry germs from the patient to the container or if excess lotion originally removed from the container is replaced back in the container when not needed.
Other types of lotion-dispensing devices often include a container housing the lotion with some type of applicator at the end, where the applicator contacts a patient""s skin after becoming saturated with lotion. Examples include U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,382 to Hull et al and U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,441 to Tice. With these types of devices the therapist has difficulty controlling the delivery of lotion to the patient""s skin and must stop the therapy, such as a massage, to apply the lotion.
Hand-held spray devices often appear in children""s toys. U.S. Pat. No. 5,303,847 to Cottone discloses a water toy worn on a user""s hand which includes a targeting finger sheath having a discharge nozzle for spraying water. An actuating finger sheath worn on another finger controls operation of an electric motor and water pump which pumps water contained in a housing through a pipe and out the nozzle on the targeting finger sheath. U.S. Pat. No. 4,037,790 describes a water glove toy which expels water from an area near the wrist by pressing on a compressible bulb at the palm portion of the glove.
It is an object of the medication delivery system of this invention to provide a constant flow of a fluid, such as a medicated lotion or gel, through a delivery tube on the therapist""s hand for an efficient and controlled dispensing of the medication for the therapist to spread onto the skin of a patient, as desired.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a medication delivery system where the medication is released through a delivery tube in doses controlled by a therapist.
It is a yet further object of this invention to provide a medication delivery system for efficiently dispensing a medication in a timesaving manner.
It is a still further object of this invention to provide a dispenser and applicator which are disposable after use by each patient so that the same container of lotion can be utilized in the care of many patient""s without fear of cross-contamination.